Savior
by MistressDarkness
Summary: When Rahl orders a wizard to attack the person Richard cares about most, Richard and Kahlan find themselves transported into the past.
1. Chapter 1

The ruler of D'Hara paced before his throne, anger made visible through his every move. He turned to one of the captains he had summoned from his army. "I will not stand for anymore failures," Darken Rahl's voice boomed through the halls. "To defeat the Seeker, we need to cut him off from those he cares about, from his traveling companions. Without them, he won't be able to navigate the Midlands or protect himself from my wizards."

"Very good idea my Lord. Whom shall we target first?" The captain clasped his hands behind his back, standing at the ready.

Rahl didn't need any time to think about his answer, "The Mother Confessor." A creepy grin spread across his face. He would strike the Seeker where he is most vulnerable, his heart.

The soldier saluted, "Her death will be long and painful, I promise you that."

"No," Rahl spoke slowly. "You won't kill her. We need something worse than death, something that will torment Richard Cypher for an eternity." A plan formed in his mind. "Bring a wizard with you; take Jonah. Tell him to be creative." Gracefully, he glided over to his throne. His eyes closed as he sat, reveling in his own power. Soon the Seeker would know what it was like to have the object of his affection in mortal jeopardy.

The captain bowed respectfully, "I shall ready the troops at once my Lord. We will leave with Jonah within the hour. You have my word." The man exited quickly, eager to be out of Darken's line of sight.

Rahl nodded as the uniformed soldier scurried out the door. Smooth fingers caressed the arm of his throne. Cypher will never take away his power. He will learn what happens to those who stand in his way.

*****

"He'll be fine." Kahlan insisted for the third time that day. Richard glanced over his shoulder towards her. He didn't have to guess at who the 'he' she referred to was. Zedd had left yesterday to escort Jennsen safely to the resistance with two of the boxes of Orden. Richard was still uncomfortable with the idea of Zedd or any one of them going off on their own. "He's done this before. And he's Wizard of the First Order, he can handle himself." She smiled despite herself, "He's the one usually bailing us out of trouble, remember?"

A small smirk finally graced the Seeker's lips. "Okay, okay. I'll stop worrying about him."

She shook her head, "I'm not asking you to stop worrying about him; it's only natural you do. I also can't help but be a bit fearful. I'm asking that your worry not cloud your mind. We need to be more alert than ever with Zedd gone." She blushed slightly, realizing a double meaning could be interpreted from her sentence. Luckily, Richard seemed to remain oblivious. His smile disappeared as quick as it had come. He stopped walking next to Kahlan. She turned back, "It's okay to-" The man brought his hand up to silence her. She instantly became serious, "What is it Richard?"

He cocked his head to the right. "We're being followed." Kahlan turned her head in the same direction, trying to hear whatever Richard's ears were detecting. He pointed up into a tree. A single nod let him know she understood. She grabbed a tree branch, hauling herself up into the dense foliage. Richard made sure she was invisible to the enemy before lifting his own body weight into the leaves.

Within two minutes, a troop of twenty armed soldiers marched through the area. A dagger pierced through the air vertically, wedging itself between the shoulder blades of one of the men. A split second later, a woman dropped from the tree, her feet landing on either side of the fallen D'Haran. In one swift move she held both of her daggers in the defensive position. Before anyone could make a move on her, Richard followed suit, slicing a man in half on his way down with the Sword of Truth. The duo went back to back, readying themselves for the inevitable battle.

A battle cry rippled through the forest. Richard relaxed, letting the dance with death overtake him body and soul. The sword cleanly sliced through a man's abdomen, sending him sprawling to the ground. He pivoted on his left foot, driving the piece of metal through the torso of another soldier. The weapon made a repulsive noise when it was removed.

Kahlan easily cut the throat of a Dragon Corp member before spinning to meet the blow of another. Her white confessor's dress flowed like liquid behind her. The heel of her foot made contact with a soldier's groin before he toppled over. A hand reached out of nowhere, grabbing her wrist. With lightening speed, she pried the grabby fingers off of her. Another hand replaced it. She fought to get free, but a different man grabbed her other wrist, pulling in the opposite direction. She grunted with the pain it caused. She struggled against them. Ideas raced through her mind, but each came up empty. A man wearing robes as black as the night sky made his way towards her. He walked through the troops as if he was parting the sea. He eyed her up and down, "Well well, I can't say it's a pleasure to meet you. Though I do hope when all is said and done, you are able to eventually rot in the Underworld." He bowed his head, making sure to stay far enough away to avoid her now flailing legs. Kahlan heaved all of her effort into trying to kick the scumbag of a wizard before her. Words began pouring out of his mouth in a language she couldn't understand. She recognized it as the one Zedd spoke in when he was performing magic. Jonah bowed his head, raising his arms out in front of him.

A piercing scream escaped Kahlan's throat. It rang loud in the Seeker's ear. He instantly turned to find her. "No!" He screamed into the air, fighting his way over to where she was being held. She writhed as blue magic danced and crackled along her pale skin. Standing between Richard and Kahlan was in itself a death sentence at the hands of the Seeker. Her eyes glossed over, becoming a milky white. Brown locks tossed from side to side as she shook. The Sword of Truth descended upon the wizard, producing a large gash in his right side. Rage was evident in Richard's eyes as he addressed the soldiers holding Kahlan, "Release her now or die where you stand." The two men let go of the woman as she slumped down to the ground, her eyes still unseeing. Richard sunk down beside her, taking her face into his hands, "Kahlan, look at me. Focus your eyes on me. Come on-" Before he could get another word out, the blue magic spread from Kahlan's skin to his own, engulfing them both. A thunderous boom reverberated through branches and shrubs. The two remaining soldiers stared wide-eyed at the black scorch marks outlining where their enemies had been crouching. Not even a single hair follicle remained in the area. They glanced at each other before tending to the injured wizard. Lord Rahl would want to know about this new turn of events.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: :O! I updated this story?! I know, shocker, right? I didn't even expect to update this one yet lol. I've had the urge to lately. It's a short chapter, but I had to stop it here. It was too perfect. The chapters will get longer, no worries. And I'm also working on the next chapter of Powerless, so don't worry about that either. I hope you all are still interested in this fic, enjoy the chapter!!

Birds flying overhead sang a melodious tune, the sound filling Richard's mind. He slowly regained consciousness. Leaning on one hand, he glanced around at his surroundings. His other hand massaged his temples, trying to remember what had happened. Kahlan. He immediately jumped up onto his feet, looking for her. "Kahlan?!" he called into the forest. "Kahlan!" He heard a soft moan coming from behind the bushes to his right. He ran over, relieved to see her unharmed. He knelt down beside her, gently pulling her into his lap. "Come on, that's it. Rise and shine," he smiled down at her. Her piercing blue eyes found his, staring up into her angel's face. She reached up a hand to cup his cheek. He placed his own over hers, savoring the feel of his lover's hand against his skin.

Kahlan smiled back up at him. Glancing around, she took in everything around them. "Do you know where we are?"

Richard helped her to sit up, "I'm not sure. It doesn't look much different from where just were." It was times like these that he wished he knew more about the Midlands. Being a woods guide, it was unnerving not to know where they currently were. The two stood. "Do you remember what happened? Do you know what the wizard did?"

Kahlan thought for a moment, before shaking her head. "I remember being engulfed in magic, to the point where it paralyzed me. But I'm not sure what his intent was. Whatever he meant to do though, I doubt you are supposed to be here with me." She bit her lip, wondering what Richard had just gotten himself into. If this was a trap for her, she didn't want him to die along with her.

Richard nodded, "I know. But I had to try to stop him." He turned towards her, "You would have done the same for me." She sighed, conceding to his point. Of course she would have. They were each others' strength and weakness. His face scrunched, "What I don't get is why it's so peaceful here."

"Magic can be very deceiving, just keep your eyes open at all times," Kahlan warned, knowing full well how ugly everything could turn in a split second. "Wait, did you hear that?"

Richard automatically reached for the Sword of Truth, preparing for an attack. His hand touched nothing but air. A small wave of panic washed over him, realizing his sword was gone. He gritted his teeth; he didn't like being without his weapon. It made him and Kahlan even more vulnerable to whatever was lurking out there. He would have to tell Kahlan later, they had more important things to worry about now. He paused, listening intently. In the distance, they could hear laughter. A little red ball suddenly rolled up to their feet. A small girl about three years old wandered out of the greenery. She ran awkwardly in a zigzag pattern, her arms held out like a bird in flight. She instantly froze when she saw Richard and Kahlan standing there. She gasped in fear, backing away slowly. "Hey there," Richard began softly. "It's okay, we're good people." He bent down slowly to her level, retrieving her ball. "Would you like this back?" The girl nodded, her brown curls falling into her face. Her pink dress moved gracefully in the slight breeze. "It's okay, we won't hurt you." She took a few hesitant steps forward before coming to a stop. "Would you feel better if I tossed it back to you?" She nodded again. "Do you have a name?"

She didn't say anything for a while, before finally answering, "Not s'posed to talk to stwangers."

Richard smiled broadly, "That's a good girl. That's right. You're very smart." The girl nodded in agreement to her being intelligent, causing the Seeker to laugh. "Here you go," he tossed the red ball to her. The girl missed, stumbling to grab it. "Do you need help getting home?"

She shook her head vigorously from side to side, pointing over her shoulder. "Mamma."

A feminine voice called from the shadows, "Sweetie, where'd you go?" She appeared where the young girl had originally come from. She shifted the baby she held in her arms, gently rocking her. "There you are," she smiled down at her daughter.

"Mamma!" The girl yelled in excitement, running back to her with the ball. She hugged her mother's leg, peaking out behind it at Richard and Kahlan. The woman looked back up to the strangers before her, the smile disappearing. Her body tensed, on guard incase the two before her tried to harm her children. The girl sensed her mom's discomfort. She tugged on her mom's long green dress. "Mamma, s'okay. They nice."

The woman relaxed a little, a polite smile returning to her face. "I hope she wasn't bothering you."

Richard shook his head, "Not at all miss. You have a lovely daughter. She must have a good mother to teach her not to talk to strangers."

She grinned, "Thank you sir. It was nice to meet you, but we must be going now. Please excuse us." Her blue necklace and earrings sparkled in the sunlight.

"Of course, have a wonderful day." Richard waved goodbye to the little girl. She giggled, clutching her mom's leg tighter. The woman turned away, the little girl rolling her ball on the ground in front of her. He watched them until they were gone from sight. He returned to his feet, looking back at Kahlan. His smiled left at the expression on her face. She was still staring at the spot the retreating figures had last been visible. Shock was evident in her features. "Kahlan?" he asked. He didn't receive a response. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder, drawing her out of her trance. She refocused her eyes on him. "Are you alright?" Concern laced his words.

Kahlan blinked rapidly, trying to clear her mind. "I um, I'm fine. I'm okay. I just…" she stopped, unsure what to say next.

"What is it?" He studied her eyes, searching them for an answer. "Do you know them? Do you know the little girl?"

A sarcastic laugh escaped Kahlan's mouth, "You could say that." At Richard's confused expression, she added, "Richard, that little girl was me." Richard's eyes grew wide, turning back to try to see the girl, but she was long gone. One word left Kahlan's soft lips, as her eyes grew watery, "Mom…"


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I was so surprised how many of you are still reading this and with how many reviews I got, I decided to give you guys another update :D Like I said, reviews are great motivators *hint hint* I won't be able to update this quickly often, but I wanted you guys to have this now. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and even to those who didn't but still read this. Enjoy!

Also, don't forget this takes place in season 1.

CHAPTER 3

Kahlan took a few steps forward, her eyes still glossy. She held a hand up to her heart, staring towards where the younger version of her and her mother disappeared. She broke into a sprint.

"Kahlan!" Richard shouted after her, running to keep up. He almost bumped into her back when she stopped abruptly. Her face was stoic. Richard followed her gaze, looking out over the city below. It was beyond anything he had ever imagined. Buildings stretched as far as the eye could see with a magnificent palace standing tall and proud among them. Ornate decorations ordained the structure. He could barely make out the tiny figures of people wandering the streets. "Wow," he breathed. The sight was overwhelming. Heartland seemed so insignificant compared to this place. "Kahlan, what city is this?"

Without turning to look at him, she whispered, "That's Aydindril, my home."

Richard turned towards her, "You lived here?" He wondered if he could see her house from here. He smiled, "Which house was yours?"

Her blue eyes met his brown ones, "The Confessors Palace." At Richard's shocked expression, she finally smiled. "All of the confessors lived there. That is until Darken Rahl drove us into hiding." A dark shadow came over her face, "I wasn't there at the time, but I hear most of them split up when they left in order to avoid everyone being caught." She changed the subject, pointing up a large incline to the right. "That's the Wizard's Keep. My mother and the young version of me must have been coming from there. She often took me and Dennee there. We used to play in the halls. I learned a lot from the wizards and the books."

"You would be living at the palace now if it wasn't for me, wouldn't you?" Richard asked sadly. He was keeping her from her home. Looking at the luxurious building, he could only guess at what kinds of extravagant furnishings and food were within it. He knew he would never be able to give her those kind of things, the things that she was used to. He was just a lowly woodsguide.

Kahlan's puzzled face turned toward his, "Yes, but do not misunderstand me Richard. I _want_ to be by your side. There is no where else I would rather be, not even back at the palace. Living at the palace is not like living the life of a queen or a king. Confessors are constantly threatened by the people we are sworn to protect. Going outside of the palace was dangerous; we rarely left. The only times we did leave were to go to the Wizard's Keep or on confession assignments. Even then, we always had a wizard to guard us. It was a very sheltered life." She smiled, gesturing with her arms to the woods around her, "This is where I want to be. Outside among the trees, free from the confines of that life. I know that I am Mother Confessor now and I must one day return to that role and duty, but for now, I want to just be Kahlan Amnell, not the confessor but the woman." She went up to his side, "And here," she lifted Richard's arms, draping them over her shoulders as she did the same with her own arms to him. She intertwined her fingers behind his neck. "Right here, is where I belong. In your arms."

Richard's face lit up. Kahlan always hid her feelings from him so as not to distract him from his mission. Her worst fear was somehow harming him with her power. He knew the prophecy about her betrayal still weighed heavily on her mind, though she no longer voiced her concerns to him. To hear her defending their love for once was a welcomed change. It gave him hope that they could eventually work everything out. As long as they were together, there was nothing that could stop them. He pulled her head towards him, gently kissing her forehead. "And it's exactly where I want you to be. Thank you," he whispered to her. He pulled back, staring into her gorgeous blue orbs. "Let's go check out the Wizard's Keep. Maybe one of them knows how to send us back to our own time."

She nodded. The couple took one step forward before their vision danced in front of their eyes. The city and the keep shimmered, transforming into more trees. Richard held Kahlan tightly to him, afraid she would disappear too if he let go. He could feel her clinging to him, balling up his shirt in her fists. As suddenly as it had started, it stopped. Kahlan pulled back slightly, peeking around at their new environment. Aydindril and the Wizard's Keep were gone now. Only a vast expanse of trees remained in their place. There was no hill overlooking the city anymore, only flat land. "What was that?" Kahlan asked breathlessly. It was very unnerving to be that unsteady on her feet. The objects spinning and shimmering around her left her feeling dizzy.

"I don't know, but I didn't like it." The Seeker looked around, one arm still draped over Kahlan's shoulders incase it happened again and he needed to pull her back to him quickly. A piercing scream echoed through the forests. Richard and Kahlan ran towards the sound, forgetting their current predicament.

A log cabin slowly came into view. Kahlan stopped dead, grabbing Richard's arm. "No…"

Richard turned back to her, "What's wrong?" Kahlan's grip grew stronger, her nails starting to dig into his arm. He knew she would never hurt him intentionally. Fear was overtaking her body. He held her by the shoulders, "Kahlan? Look at me, please."

Her wide eyes shot towards his. "We have to get out of here, now. I'll explain later."

Another scream. Richard turned back towards the little house. "Someone is in trouble. I can't just stay here while only the spirits know what is being done to them. You can wait here if you like."

"No!" Kahlan screamed, grabbing onto him. Panic filled her voice. Tears flowed down her face freely. "Please, please don't go in there."

Richard held her to him. Kahlan nestled her head in the crook of his neck, trembling. "Shhhh, it's okay." He stroked her hair with his hand. He glanced back at the cabin. His heart was torn between helping the person and comforting Kahlan. Something was obviously scaring her, but if whoever was in danger died when he could have prevented it he would never forgive himself. He put a hand under her chin, gently tipping Kahlan's head up so his eyes were looking into hers. "I have to go help them. Please understand."

"No! Don't go in that cabin. Richard, _please_!" He hated to hear her beg.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'll be right back." He started off towards the house. Kahlan reached out to stop him again, but her hand fell short. She took off after him, trying her best to catch up with Richard before he reached his destination. Just before his fingers gripped the doorknob to enter, Kahlan grabbed his tunic, shoving his body up against the cabin wall. She panted wildly, her eyes darting back and forth like a frightened animal. "Kahlan!" He was shocked she would actually go to these lengths to stop him. "Either tell me what is wrong now, or let me go." He glared back at her. As upset as she was, he couldn't believe she would risk someone else's life. Maybe when he first met her she would have, but not now. He had watched her grow from someone who was raised to be a confessor and only perform her duty to a woman who cared about the people of the Midlands and would risk her own life to save them. What was so different about this?

A loud slap followed by a cry reached their ears. Richard turned his head towards the cabin wall, looking through a window next to him. Kahlan tried to pull him away from the glass pane, but it was too late, he saw. He saw exactly what she didn't want him to see, and he immediately knew why. His blood boiled at the scene before him. "No," he heard Kahlan whisper. His eyes hardened. He reached into his belt, withdrawing a knife. "No!" she screamed. "You can't! Dear spirits, don't go in there!" Kahlan fell into him sobbing.

Richard held her tightly to him, resting his head on top of hers. He continued to stare into the window. He gritted his teeth as he saw a little brunette girl being beaten by an older man. She only looked to be five years old. Blood trickled down the girl's face. A toddler sat off in the corner, crying profusely. "That's you, isn't it?" he whispered, his voice breaking. He felt Kahlan nod against him. He closed his eyes tightly, tears of his own forming. The little girl fell to the ground from the last slap. Her hand held her face, tears pouring down. The man shouted over her, waving his arms. The girl withdrew into herself.

Richard was so wrapped up in watching, he didn't notice Kahlan had turned to watch as well. "You can't do anything to stop it," she spoke softly. Her voice was hoarse from crying. Her tear stained face turned to his. "We're trapped in my past. You can't change what has already happened or it could have irreversible effects on the future."

His arms tightened around her. "Kahlan, I can't just watch while she- while you get pummeled by some man! You were just a little girl. I can put a stop to this."

She shook her head sadly, "If you try to do that, then I may never meet you in the future." She was interrupted by another scream. She sighed deeply, closing her eyes, willing it away. She tried to focus on Richard, using him to keep her grounded. Her body still shook uncontrollably. "Rahl's plan must have been to somehow change my past so that I never get the Book of Counted Shadows to you, so that I never meet you." Richard nodded; she had saved his life countless times. Without her, he would surely be dead by now and Rahl would have won. But he doubted that was what Rahl had planned. If it worked that way then so be it, but he believed Rahl wanted Kahlan to be stuck relieving her own past, stuck in her worst nightmare. Richard was never supposed to follow her here. Rahl wanted Richard to be vulnerable without Kahlan and distracted by trying to find her. "And that's not just any man hitting me Richard," she took a deep breath, "that's my father." Richard froze, his mind replaying the night by the fire when she had confessed to him about her childhood, the childhood in which she and Dennee were abused by their father after he was released from confession when their mother died.

Richard heard a door slam as the man stormed off into a different room. He watched as the five-year old Kahlan crawled over to the toddler who must be Dennee. She took the smaller girl into her arms, rocking her back and forth, whispering into her ear. Dennee slowly calmed down, falling asleep against her sister's chest. Richard's heart broke. It was one thing to know about Kahlan's past, it was another thing to watch it unfold. He couldn't even imagine the turmoil going on inside of her. No wonder she had been so afraid to come here.

His confessor clung to him desperately, trying to hide from her past. This was the last thing she ever wanted Richard to see. It was bad enough she had to live through it. She knew it hurt him to watch as much as it hurt her. She had worked so hard to suppress these memories, to move on with her life. Terror she hadn't know since she was a little girl filled her. She had to keep her emotions in control.

Richard slowly pulled her away from the window, "Come on." Her feet shuffled under her, her knees buckling from the emotional drain. Richard caught her in his arms, lifting her up bridal style. She rest her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. She closed her eyes, finding solace in the warmth radiating from his body. Richard looked down at the figure in his arms; he held her to him, comforting her like the young Kahlan was comforting Dennee in the cabin. He smiled sadly down at her as her breathing evened out. She fell into a light sleep. He only hoped it would be peaceful.

*****

Please review! :D


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